Shoe form



Jan.17,1939.. I v w. F. KUSTER j 2,144,381

SHOE FORM Filed NOV. 12, 1936 Patented Jan. 17, 1939 UNITED STATE ATENT OFFIE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to forms for the display of articles of wear, such as shoes, but is not limited thereto.

To maintain the trim, filled-out appearance 5 of shoes for display and other purposes, it has been customary to stuff the shoes with paper and the like, and to employ shoe trees and similar devices. Stufiing is obviously undesirable, and trees and similar devices are unsatisfactory for the reasons, among others, that they do not properly fill out the shoes, are unyielding, unwieldy, expensive, require considerable time and effort to apply and remove, must be adjusted manually for each shoe, are capable of only slight adjustment so that several are required for the entire range of shoe widths, are incapable of suitably displaying hosiery while disposed in the shoes, and are generally lacking in esthetic appeal.

It is to overcome the foregoing drawbacks and accomplish additional objects, as will appear, that the present invention has been devised.

In brief, one embodiment of the invention may comprise a resilient form such as one in the shape of a human foot, constructed to accommodate surplus stocking material so as to properly display an oversize as well as a correctly sized stocking and. to be contracted and slipped into a shoe and then automatically expand to resiliently press the interior wall of and properly fill the shoe.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing and hereinafter more fully described.

Figure 1 is a reduced perspective View of a shoe equipped with a form embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is: an enlarged broken section elevation taken substantially as indicated at IIII in Figure 1.

indicated by the line III-III in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of a form embodying the invention.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary View similar to the upper part of Figure 4 but contracted for insertion into a shoe.

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially as indicated by the line VI-VI in Figure 4.

Figure '7 is a perspective view of the form appearing in Figure 4.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, Figure 1 shows how a shoe equipped with the invention may appear. A form embodying the invention is indicated at I, made preferably hol- Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken as low as by molding live rubber or other suitable material of resilient character. The shape illustrated is that of a foot and adjacent part of the limb, although it will be appreciated that it could consist of a foot part alone or as: much of the limb part as may be desired. Thesurface of the form may be in any tint such as flesh, provided by a pigment or inherent in the material of which the form is made, and the surface is preferably smooth and uninterrupted, especially the portion adapted to be seen through a stocking beyond the confines of the shoe.

The forepart 2 of the form, at the margin.3 and tread 4, is firm but resiliently yieldable, to exert an expansive pressure within and thus impart shapeliness to the shoe upper. The tread is formed with a preferably elongated upwardly projecting bulge 5 which is preferably curved transversely and is preferably substantially flat at its deepest portion 6. Said portion 6 constitutes a bending axis, so that by pressing the sides 1 of the forepart 2 toward each other, the tread 4 will readily bend at said portion and move upward to occupy an unobtrusive position, as shown at 8. The bending may be repeated indefinitely without material injury to said portion- The bulge provides a groove 9 which is open at its rear end adjacent the arch IQ, so as to allow greater narrowing of the widest portions, or ball, of the tread upon compression, thereby facilitating insertion of the form into shoes of a large range of widths.

The groove 9 is closed at its front end I I somewhat rearwardly of the tip l2 so that the tread at the front will not be unduly distorted upon contraction of the tread as a whole.

The groove 9 also provides space in which to receive any excess material l3 at the tread of the stocking l4, so that the form does not require the corresponding exact size of stocking in order to properly display the same, but rather, a substantial variety of sizes will be accommodated. This storage space is augmented by forming a hole It: in the bulge 5. As will be evident from Figure 3, a. substantial part of the excess stocking material may be projected up through the hole l5, and may be held against accidental withdrawal, as when the stoclnng-covered form is being inserted in the shoe, by a wad I6 of paper or the like stuffed into the hole. This hole also enhances the yieldability of the bulge 5.

The upper edge I! of the form I is preferably smooth as by bending the material inwardly, and the upper part of the stocking is conveniently folded over said edge and reposes within the form and out of sight when the covered form is on display, as will be seen in Figures 1 and 2.

After the stocking is'drawn onto the form and the surplus upper and lower portions tucked away as explained above, the form thus covered is compressed to narrow the ball of the tread and other portions, if necessary, to an extent enabling the form to be expeditiously inserted in the shoe l8.

The ladies shoe I8 is selected for illustration only, as the invention is also applicable to mens and. childrens shoes. The broad principles of the invention are such' as to include filling-out forms in general as will'be apparent to those skilled in the art. I

When the covered for'm is released, as when it is fully or almost fully inserted, the form may be shoved farther forward if necessary. At such release the form automatically expands against the interior wall of the shoe upper, but while the expansive force is suflicient adequately to fill out the shoe upper l9 and hold it taut, it will not interfere materially with the completion of the act of insertion nor with the withdrawal of the form. The covered form is inserted toe first and withdrawn heel first. J

The forepart 2 may .be conveniently compressed by applying a squeezing pressure, as by the thumb and index finger of one hand, at the rear of the tread, as indicated by the arrows 20,

2!] in Figure 4. Thus the forepart 2 may be inserted a substantial distance into the forepart of the shoe before it is necessary to release the form, and may be grasped and compressed shortly after removal is initiated.

The stocking will of course have sufficient resilient stretch to cover the form without wrinkling notwithstanding size variations and flexing of the form.

The form may of course be employed without a stocking, if desired.

The form is made at'the sole thereof of somewhat greater normal width and overall length than the maximum width and length of shoes of a given length size, for a given'type of last, and

the form is made capable of compression to a width less than the minimum width of shoes of that length and last, so that the same form may be employed satisfactorily in shoes throughout the full range of widths. In some lasts, the ex-' tremes are denoted by the symbols AAA and D.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described an embodiment of the invention, it

. is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I .claim:

'1'. A display device comprising a rubber or the like resilient hollow shape-recovering foot form having a flesh-lined outer surface and of substantially uniform thickness throughout the upper 1 and tread portions thereof and having its tread normally substantially 'flat and comprising an elongated inverted channel portion extending uptransversely horizontally compressed in a manner to reduce the width of the tread at the ball therevof, said form being inherently expansible at the sole thereof toward its normal width when the pressure is removed, said channel having-a hole in which surplus tread material of an oversize stocking'on the form may be tucked, the upper edge of the form being transversely rounded to impart a smooth appearance to the stocking material folded thereover and tucked down into the form.

2. A display device comprising a rubber or the like hollow shape-recovering foot form comprising transversely spaced tread portions joined by' a part projecting upwardly and adapted to ap proach each other when theform is compressed in a manner to reduce the Width thereof at the tread, said part having a hole in which surplus tread material of an oversize stockingbn the" form may be tucked.

3. A display device including a shape recovering foot form with a normally substantially flat tread portion divided by an upwardly extending channel portion, the walls of said channel portion collapsing inwardly and the divided tread collapsing upwardly upon the application of transverse pressure adjacent said tread, said channel portion having a hole therein, and said form being inherently expansible when pressurefis removed. I r

' WILLIAM F. KUS'ITER. 

